Troubled Child

Childlike Innocence

Riley knocked on the door rapidly. "Emily, please unlock the door."

"Go away!"

"I swear I didn't know! Please, Emily, let me explain. Unlock the door so I can talk to you." Riley begged as she knocked on the door a few more times. "Please."

"It's not locked!"

Riley sighed. She reached for the brass doorknob slowly, but she stopped and pulled her hand back. "I don't want to invade your space. Please open the door."

"I don't want to move! Just open it! I don't care!" Emily shouted back.

Riley took a deep breath and turned the handle. She stepped into the room and saw Emily curled up on the guest bed with a tattered and torn stuffed pig in her arms. She didn't notice it when Emily first moved in, but her eyes were mostly focused on the fact that a thirteen year old girl had all her stuff shoved in a garbage bag like it was trash.

Riley took a deep breath. "Emily, I'm sorry. I promise you I didn't know. I thought it was a leaf and flowers, honest, I didn't even realize what it was until you pointed it out. If I did I would have talked to her years ago."

Emily didn't respond. She rolled over so Riley couldn't see her tear stained face and hugged her pig close to her chest.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you sooner. I'm sorry I didn't know about you sooner. Maybe if I would have seen that painting the way you did I would have figured it out sooner and been able to do something to help her and you." Riley took a chance and set down at the edge of the bed. "Emily-"

Emily pulled her legs up towards her, but she still didn't respond.

Riley sighed. "You know when I was younger I was always told that I had a childlike innocence." She brushed her waved hair behind her left ear. "Maybe that's how I looked at it because I didn't want to see it as something more adult." She licked her lips and sighed again. "And maybe you looked at it with more adult eyes because you never got the chance to just be an innocent child. I think the only childish thing about you is your nightlight, although it is a scary skull so maybe not." Riley chuckled. "Or your piggy."

"His name is Pinky."

Riley giggled. "Pinky is a cute name. When did you get him?"

Emily sniffed. "When Lee left."

"Lee?"

"My only friend at the orphanage. Su Lee." Emily sat up and held the small pig on her lap. "She gave me her Pinky to say goodbye and I promised to always take care of him, but-" Emily frowned. "It's hard to keep things nice from one place to the next. I feel bad that he got so beat up over the years."

Riley gave her a soft smile. "I could fix him up for you. I had to fix my old stuffed animals over the years. Except my bear, I kind of left him headless so I could remember how much anger I harbored towards my little brother, but I forgave him.. in high school." Riley laughed nervously. "Anyway, I could fix him up if you wanted me too."

Emily looked down at that small pink pig toy with red polka dot patches and red ears. One ear hung loosely off because it was torn at the seams and there were several small tears and holes all over the poor thing. The fluffy faux fur always felt good in her hands and made her feel better.

"Can you trust me?" Riley held out her hands to take the pig.

Emily looked from the pig to Riley, then back down, then back at Riley again. She smiled. "Okay. I'll trust you." She handed it over to Riley carefully. "Um, Lee went back to China and I know I'm never gonna see her again so I really don't want to lose him."

Riley laid the pig down on the bed and gently took her hand. "I will handle him with care. I can promise you that." She smiled.

Emily let out a yawn and laid back down on the comfortable bed. "Good. You better."

Riley stood, grabbed the corner of the light purple duvet, and pulled it backwards so Emily could slide in between the satin sheets. Emily laid her down on the fluffy white pillow and Riley pulled the duvet up to the teenagers shoulders.

"Are you tucking me in?" Emily said giving Riley a weird look.

Riley just smiled and brushed Emily's blonde hair back away from her blue eyes. "I am." She said as she tucked the blanket around the small girl. "I believe you should be allowed some childlike innocence now and then. Hasn't anyone ever tucked you in before?" She asked nicely.

Emily shook her head, her chin making a small sound against the satin. "Not really. The nuns just called for lights out and you were supposed to be under the blanket before they turned off the lights."

Riley blinked. "They turned off all the lights? But weren't you just kids? What about a night light?"

"We had the city lights." Emily smiled at the memory. "It was actually kind of beautiful, but it always made me sad because I couldn't show it to my mom and dad." Emily took a deep breath. "Is my teacher.. my father?" She looked up at Riley with big eyes.

"You have a little green in your eyes." Riley grinned. "Your father's eyes are green too. A perfect mix of your mother and father."

Emily smiled. "So I was right. My dad is Holly's Uncle Lucas?"

Riley nodded. "Yes, but he wanted to be the one to tell you. He was waiting until after he got the DNA results back to tell you about it."

Emily frowned. "Didn't want to claim me without proof, right?"

Riley chuckled. "Didn't want to tell you without proof so you couldn't reject him. He's just afraid.. Maya is afraid too. They're afraid you'd hate them or be really angry with them. I know that's what Maya fears. That's why she left, she was afraid that I would hate her."

Emily frowned. "Because he was your boyfriend right?"

Riley nodded. "Yeah, and maybe back then I would have been really upset, but I've been over him and I just want Maya back."

"I want to meet her." Emily stated. "If you get a chance to talk to her could you tell her that for me?"

Riley smiled. "Sure. Get some sleep sweetie." Riley stopped herself from kissing Emily's head like she used to do to Holly when she was younger and left the room.